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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

From Sony:
The E340 supports multiple high-quality video formats (AVC (H.264/AVC), MPEG-4, and WMV), as well as a variety of audio codecs (MP3, WMA, AAC-LC (.mp4), and L-PCM (.wav), giving you more freedom to download the kind of music and video that you want.
WMV playback limited to Simple Profile, QVGA resolution (320x240) at a bitrate no higher than 768 kpbs. MPEG-4 playback limited to Simple Profile, QVGA resolution (320x240), at a bitrate no higher than 1024 kpbs. AVC playback limited to Baseline Profile, QVGA resolution (320x240), at a bitrate no higher than 768 kpbs.

The file didn't show up. I tried both the suffix avi, and mp4.
Checking the file with nautilus properties, showed that the video bitrate was "N/A". Maybe that's the problem?

I would be fine with encoding in anything that works.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to either encode in the DRM, Windows format? Or how to Properly encode in mp4?

Note: As this model has an "external" that allows copying any data onto it, the only way to know if the video is in the wrong format is copying it on, and searching for it. This is what I mean when I say the "file didn't show up."

In your example you create an AVI-file. This container format is not supported by your "Sony Walkman". Also just renaming avi to mp4 does not change the format!

Mencoder can create mpeg4-files in principle, but then you must set the output format to lavf and select mpeg4 for -lavfopts. But as far as I know the video files created by mencoder using lavf are not always standard conform, in the presence of b-frames. Most times they can be played back with mplayer or similar players, but devices like your walkman are very prone to litte errors. ffmpeg is able to create video files that can be played back on such devices (provided ffmpeg is built with aac and h264 support):

Code:

ffmpeg -i in.avi out.mp4

ffmpeg at least supports wmv7 and wmv8 video format for encoding. But I do not recommend using wmv/asf, since this is a proprietary video/audio/container format (similar to MPEG-4 though, but nevertheless different). Also MPEG* is patented, but is at least a standard.
While wmv supports drm I would not recommend to use it, unless you want to restrict yourself

In your example you create an AVI-file. This container format is not supported by your "Sony Walkman". Also just renaming avi to mp4 does not change the format!

Yeah, I know. I was just confused because I was unsure if the foramt I used was mp4 (I don't recall where I was told that it was mp4... but then nautilus told me it was avi, so I thought I'd try both).

Quote:

Originally Posted by irmin

Mencoder can create mpeg4-files in principle, but then you must set the output format to lavf and select mpeg4 for -lavfopts. But as far as I know the video files created by mencoder using lavf are not always standard conform, in the presence of b-frames. Most times they can be played back with mplayer or similar players, but devices like your walkman are very prone to litte errors.

ffmpeg is able to create video files that can be played back on such devices (provided ffmpeg is built with aac and h264 support):

Code:

ffmpeg -i in.avi out.mp4

ffmpeg at least supports wmv7 and wmv8 video format for encoding. But I do not recommend using wmv/asf, since this is a proprietary video/audio/container format (similar to MPEG-4 though, but nevertheless different). Also MPEG* is patented, but is at least a standard.
While wmv supports drm I would not recommend to use it, unless you want to restrict yourself

Well, honestly, I'm all for open formats, but stuff like "ogg" doesn't work when I can't play it on my mp3 player (read: If it plays I'm happy).

Ok. So what you're advising is to build ffmpeg with aac and h264, and then run the command you listed?

Sorry, while I like to think I know what I'm talking about I couldn't really follow you...

Note that this changed only a couple of years ago, so there's still a lot of outdated information out there.

Watch the output carefully when you run the command. If you look at the output in the post above, you'll see that it gave you a warning about this.

Also, you can check that you're using the proper values for -f, -vcodec, and -acodec by using the commands "ffmpeg -formats" and ffmpeg -codecs". These will give you a list of all the formats and codecs available to you.

I guess you guys are referring to Linux systems only. Can you use SONY's Content Transfer application on Linux? Apparently this application can convert any video to wmv format that will work on NWZ-E345.

Adjust parameters are necessary, -g should be 10 times the frame rate. The lower the qscale the better the quality, but don't go too low because it will have too high bitrate, and the thing won't play it.

As a side note, you're not encoding the audio. It should not be a problem because the audio input is the same as the audio output and ffmpeg does not complain about that, but just for you to take into consideration for further uses.

It could be as well that ffmpeg is not compiled properly. Those instructions you followed are 2 years old and on the same thread there are people with the same issues as you, i haven't found any straight solution though...

Nothing :/
It'd be nice if the mp3 player would actually give an error of some kind so I knew what was wrong...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammett

As a side note, you're not encoding the audio. It should not be a problem because the audio input is the same as the audio output and ffmpeg does not complain about that, but just for you to take into consideration for further uses.

I threw audio in too. Didn't seem to do much, but that's a good point anyway. Who knows how many different things I'm missing... (I recall errors with libfaac before, so I think it defaults to that encoder?)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hammett

It could be as well that ffmpeg is not compiled properly. Those instructions you followed are 2 years old and on the same thread there are people with the same issues as you, i haven't found any straight solution though...

Well, actually it was initially posted then, but it's been updated since April this year since the current post is for Lucid Lynx (which is 10.04 meaning released April this year)

I think I might have to go two pass. I'm worried how after I encode it shows "N/A" for the bitrate...
At least I'm learning, sometimes I think that's what linux is for.